Biochemical properties of rat liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase with respect to oxidation of formaldehyde.

The oxidation of formaldehyde by rat liver mitochondria in the presence of 50 mM phosphate was enhanced 2-fold by exogenous NAD+. Absolute requirement of NAD+ for formaldehyde oxidation was demonstrated by depleting the mitochondria of their NAD+ content (4.6 nmol/mg of protein), followed by reincorporation of the NAD+ into the depleted mitochondria. Aldehyde (formaldehyde) dehydrogenase activity was completely abolished in the depleted mitochondria, but the enzyme activity was restored to control levels following reincorporation of the pyridine nucleotide. Phosphate stimulation of formaldehyde oxidation could not be explained fully by the phosphate-induced swelling which enhances membrane permeability to NAD+, since stimulation of the enzyme activity by increased phosphate concentrations was still observed in the absence of exogenous NAD+. The Km for formaldehyde oxidation by the mitochondria was found to be 0.38 nM, a value similar to that obtained with varying concentrations of NAD+; both Vmax values were very similar, giving a value of 70 to 80 nmol/min/mg of protein. The pH optimum for the mitochondrial enzyme was 8.0. Inhibition of the enzyme activity by anaerobiosis was apparently due to the inability of the respiratory chain to oxidize the generated NADH. The inhibition of mitochondrial formaldehyde oxidation by succinate was found to be due to a lowering of the NAD+ level in the mitochondria. Succinate also inhibited acetaldehyde oxidation by the mitochondria. Malonate, a competitive inhibitor of succinic dehydrogenase, blocked the inhibitory effect of succinate. The respiratory chain inhibitors, rotenone, and antimycin A plus succinate, strongly inhibited formaldehyde oxidation by apparently the same mechanism, although the crude enzyme preparation (freed from the membrane) was slightly sensitive to rotenone. The mitochondria were subfractionated, and 85% of the enzyme activity was found in the inner membrane fraction (mitoplast). Furthermore, separation into inner membrane and matrix components indicated a distribution of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity similar to malic dehydrogenase.